Young star Zendaya will play Aaliyah in biopic

The singer-actress will also record four of Aaliyah’s songs for the film.

Lifetime is doubling down on its biopics about ill-fated songbirds.

The network, which recently announced that it is working on a movie about the life of singer Whitney Houston, is also planning a film about the life of actress and R&B sensation Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash in 2001 at age 22.

Replay singer Zendaya, 18, has been tapped to play the chanteuse in the film, which bears the working title Aaliyah: Princess of R&B and is based on the best-selling book Aaliyah: More Than A Woman by former Time music editor Christopher Farley.

Zendaya will record four of Aaliyah’s songs for the film, Lifetime notes.

The film will be produced by Aaliyah Productions, Inc, with Howard Braunstein (The Informant!)and Debra Martin Chase (Sparkle) executive producing. Bradley Walsh (Turn The Beat Around) is directing, working from a script by Michael Elliot (Brown Sugar). — Reuters